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Is there a stitch that you just can't do?


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For me it's the star stitch. I have spent countless hours trying to successfully accomplish it, and I could never do it. Sometime when I get the urge to try it again I may try to find a youtube tutorial for lefties and follow along.

How about you guys? Am I the only one?

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When I first tried to make the foundation stitches--I could not for the life of me get it to make sense in my noggin!  I finally gave up!  Then, a month or so later, I saw it explained differently on another site.  I tried it again--and VOILA!  Clear as could be!  The first pattern was written action by action (as in: yarn over once, pull loop through first stitch, yarn over again...blah, blah, blah...)  The second pattern told me what to do (sc in second ch from hook, yo, pull thru loop, sc in first sc.  and so on) It clicked!

Also--gotta tell this on myself!  Back when I first started crocheting (150 or 175 years ago!!), after making several straight pieces, I decided I'd tackle the little round doily in my beginning crochet book (the same little green book a lot of us started with!).  It said to "chain 5, join to make ring".  Got that part! Yay!  Then it got to the really hard part: "make 12 dc in ring".  (Now how in the heck can you put 12 dcs in 5 stitches???!!!)  I finally, after coming up with no solution to that math problem (did I mention Math has never been my strong point?), called my hubby's aunt, (who made a large thread tablecloth every 2 weeks or so!) for help!  She informed me that you put the dcs IN the RING, not the chains!  Well, duh!!!!  I was finally off and flying!  Thank you, Aunt Leona!!  And she never ever made fun of me, bless her heart!  Guess that's why she was always my very favorite aunt!!!

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Oh yea! Rev-sc.

I can crochet it, I just do not like the way mine looks. It always looks like the cat sat on it- and I don't even have a cat! LOL

Edited by ReniC
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To anyone that struggles with foundation stitches:  I highly recommend Marty Miller's Master Foundation Crochet Stitches at Craftsy.  Yes, I know it costs money for the class, but they quite often have it on sale.  Also, if you have AC Moore rewards card, they offer discounted classes + reward points a couple of times a year.  This class is worth every penny I paid!  I can't even count how many times I've gone back and watched her videos again years later. 

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Re: foundation stitches, I didn't like the look of them (the way I was making them at least) until I realized I wasn't doing it quite right (I'd misread a step).  It's still not my go-to foundation, unless I had to make stitches 'in the air' at the end of a row to shape something.  I don't think it matters if you don't use it if a pattern calls for it, I've subbed the 'old way' to no ill effect.  (speaking of old way...I was nerdily looking thru a 150 yer old crochet manual online and was surprised to find the FSC in there, by another name!)

 

Solomon's knot and bullion stitch are filed in my 'tried it, no fun, no way' drawer.  Not much of a fan of puff stitches either, they seem untidy to me--I usually sub popcorns.

 

I haven't had occasion to use the star stitch; after looking at a video I agree there are a lot of not-intuitive parts, I think I'd be referring to the instructions for the first few rows, especially the row ends.

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What in the world? I have never heard of foundation stitches. Do tell!

 

Foundation stitches replace the foundation chain and first row.  You do them together.  The advantages are that the bottom is stretchy and looks just like the top, you don't have to worry about having enough chains and it can be done using the same size hook as the rest of the project.  The disadvantages are that if the first row has skipped chains and chain spaces, foundation stitches are awkward.  They are especially wonderful for Tunisian and for adding crochet "in the air", like making a handle or a sturdy loop or adding shaping.

 

The general idea of a foundation stitch is that you make the chain and stitch at the same time.  You do this by starting the stitch, yo and pull through 1 loop to make a chain, then finish the stitch.  The chain needs to be loose, so I pinch it to give it a bit of extra room.

Edited by redrosesdz
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I love them!  So, I use them for almost all of my flat projects, especially afghans with a large initial chain count.  The only time I don't use them is when row 1 is complex.  Sometimes I've done a row of fsc anyway and then did the pattern's row 1 as the 2nd row.  I do them for all Tunisian, except for 2 projects (one started as a point and the other was entrelac.)  So, when GS said that she sometimes substitutes chain and row 1 when a pattern calls for foundation stitches, I'm the opposite and substitute foundation stitches when the pattern says to do a long chain and row 1.

 

Buttonholes are my favorite way to use fsc.  Handles can be made as a continuous part of the project, instead of attaching them.  Also, when you're shaping and you want a row wider than the current one, like adding sleeves or making a Christmas Tree, they are perfect.  On the right side (assuming you're right-handed) you chain the additional width and then crochet back across it.  On the left side you do foundation stitches to add the width.

 

When I'm making a cylinder, like a shirt or a cowl, I use foundation stitches, too.  The tricky part about a cylinder is that the slip stitch join doesn't look complete, because the stitch part is joined, but the chain part isn't.  I fix this when I weave in the initial tail by mimicking the chain join before doing the rest of the weaving. 

 

ETA:  I just re-read that you're left-handed.  So, in the 2nd paragraph, it's on the left side you chain and crochet back and on the right side you do foundation stitches.

Edited by redrosesdz
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Wow, ok, well I am finishing up an afghan in the next few days and starting another. May have to try it out!

Don't give up on it too soon--it takes a little practice, but it's SO worth it!

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  • 1 month later...

Please Help!!!!!

 

Hi can anyone please help me. I am trying to do a vintage cardigan and I can't seem to understand what they want me to do it is from free vintage crochet it is called girls crocheted cardigan pattern and it says to do this (Slip st over first 3 sts for underarm and work to within last 3 sts . Work in pattern until piece measures 3½ in.,) please help thank you.

Edited by JesusLives7
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Please Help!!!!!

Hi can anyone please help me. I am trying to do a vintage cardigan and I can't seem to understand what they want me to do it is from free vintage crochet it is called girls crocheted cardigan pattern and it says to do this (Slip st over first 3 sts for underarm and work to within last 3 sts . Work in pattern until piece measures 3½ in.,) please help thank you.

 

Welcome to the Ville! It would really be best to start a new thread since you are changing the subject. Go to the Crochet Help section and start a thread there with your question, and you will get answers.

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  • 3 years later...

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